Flames of the Heart
by Tiffaasaur
Summary: After a misfired curse binds Hermione Granger and Severus Snape together for the foreseeable future, Severus and Hermione must try to learn to get along. Hermione knows the most important thing is to try and find a counter spell, before they end up killing each other - but she can't help her growing feelings. Can Severus?
1. Chapter 1

Flames of the Heart – Chapter One.

Hermione Granger always prided herself in being one of the best students in her year. She was head girl, and the majority of the Hogwarts faculty respected her in a way that made her feel incredibly proud of her achievements. In fact, she was even practically guaranteed a teaching position for when she graduated in a few months time. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was retiring at the end of the year, sending a great deal of disarray throughout the staff members. Who would replace him? Who COULD? Naturally their eyes turned towards Hermione and she'd been offered the position mere days after Flitwick's resignation.

So why, Hermione thought, gritting her teeth in frustration, was she trying to break up a duel in the middle of the corridor one evening when she should have been filling out the necessary paperwork for the job? Four students, two of Slytherin and two of Gryffindor were firing hexes at each other from opposite sides of the corridor, yelling and trading insults like a couple of first years. Hermione sighed and, pulling out her wand, stepped right into the line of fire. The amateur hexes and curses glanced off her shield as if they were nothing and Hermione raised her voice to be heard over the crowd of students that had gathered to watch and laugh at the show.

"WHAT," Hermione yelled, frustration boiling through her. "Do you think you're doing?" She shot at both the Slytherin and Gryffindor trouble makers.

The hexes ceased immediately and a silence settled across the group of students and the four duelling students glanced at each other nervously. They'd seen Hermione Granger angry before, and although it was fun to watch from a distance, neither of them wanted to be on the receiving end of the Head Girls anger.

"We were... we were..." stuttered a skinny, large eyed boy from Gryffindor.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at the boy, daring him to go on.

"We were duelling to see who was better, you meddling little mudblood." Spat out the Slytherin boy, leering at Hermione, his arm around his female partner's waist. He looked old for his age, with a sculpted face and hair that fell in glossy blonde waves to his shoulders.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and fixed the Slytherin with an expression that made his sudden bout confidence fade away as quickly as it arrived.

"Actually," The second Gryffindor, another boy, suddenly chimed in. "Jeremiah thought it hilarious to curse us as we walked in the hallway."

"You lying little..." Jeremiah shot the Gryffindor a dangerous look, and before Hermione knew what had happened, he sent another curse at the boy over her shoulder. Chaos erupted once more, and nothing that Hermione shouted or did made any difference.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw a glimpse of a sweeping black cloak and greasy black hair enter the fray. Secretly relieved to have back-up, even if it were in the form of Professor Snape, Hermione started to make her way towards the towering figure, doing her best to block any jinx's that came her way.

"Miss Granger," snapped Snape. "DO tell me why you have not curbed this disturbance already!"

Hermione glowered at him and tossed her hair over her shoulder in annoyance – it wasn't like she wasn't trying!

"Well, Professor, I was just in the middle of it when you decided to make your appearance." She quipped, not caring that she was being rude.

She just had time to register the surprise on his face at her comment when she was hit by something. She gasped in surprise as a flaming warmth spread throughout her body, starting in her chest and spreading outwards, right down to her fingers and toes.

Then her vision went black and she felt no more.


	2. Chapter 2

Flames of the Heart – Chapter Two.

Hermione awoke from her unconsciousness bleary and disorientated. Although her body no longer felt like flames were licking her insides, she felt uncomfortably warm. She sighed and slowly sat up; tossing back the duvet that was neatly tucked around her. She was in the hospital wing; all of the other beds were empty, except for one – although Hermione could not see who was lying there as a screen was place carefully around the bed - shielding its occupant from view.

Just then, Madame Pomfrey strode purposefully into the room, followed close behind by Professor McGonagall and the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. Whilst the two women had on practically identical expressions of concern and annoyance, Dumbledore seemed to be fighting the urge to smile.

"Ah, Miss Granger, you're awake." Dumbledore spoke kindly. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine thank you sir," said Hermione quietly. "What happened?"

Dumbledore sighed, and perched on the chair next to her bed.

"Well, I'm afraid to say we're not entirely sure. Do you remember anything?" Hermione raised her eyebrows at this, surprise etched across her face. Dumbledore had an answer for everything – even to questions you didn't know you wanted to ask. Seeing her expression, Dumbledore chuckled and patted her shoulder in a fatherly gesture.

"Your confidence in my intelligence and abilities is touching, Miss Granger. But even I find myself coming up blank sometimes." His smile grew and he lowered his voice, "Although, these moments are rare and few between."

Hermione laughed. "I suppose you're right." She paused, trying to concentrate on the last thing she remembered. "I remember trying to break up the duelling students in the corridor; I thought I had everything in control but apparently I didn't."

"And when Professor Snape appeared I went to speak to him and all of a sudden, it felt like I was on fire." Hermione touched her hand to her chest, her skin still felt feverish, as if someone was trying to slow roast her over a candle flame.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and averted her gaze, shifting uncomfortably. "Yes, we found Professor Snape at the scene, too. From the looks of it, you both were hit by the same enchantment."

Hermione frowned, and her eyes flicked back to the headmaster. "You don't know what the enchantment we were hit with was, do you Professor?"

She watched Dumbledore twist his long fingers in his beard, a nervous habit Hermione rarely ever saw him do.

"No, we don't." His smile softened and he looked at her so pityingly that Hermione's heart sank and she looked down at her hands that were folded neatly in her lap.

"We do know that it was nothing life threatening," he said quickly. "But whatever the charm, hex or jinx was – it seems to have created a sort of...bond, or invisible connection, between yourself and Professor Snape."

Hermione's head snapped up and her eyes widened in alarm. Dear god, she thought in shock, please tell me he isn't saying what I think he's saying. She opened her mouth, and then closed it. Opened it once more to try and form a coherent sentence, or a question, or SOMETHING. But nothing came out.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen," sneered a loud voice from across the room. "Is just another thing to add to my list of reasons of why I think our dear headmaster has finally lost his marbles!"

Severus Snape strode across the few feet of distance between the beds, his arms folded across his broad chest and a look of disgust painted across his face.

"What utter nonsense." Scoffed Snape, "Let me show you all how wrong our headmaster is, by walking right out of this room and away from this madness."

"Severus," Professor McGonagall started her eyes wide with a mixture of concern and irritation. "I really don't think that's a good idea..."

Severus just waved her off with a flick of his hand and strode towards to the hospital wing doors. No sooner had he gone more than a few metres however, he jerked in surprise and fell to his knees, gasping and clasping at his chest. A little yelp erupted from Hermione's throat, and Madame Pomfrey hurried to his side to try and pull him to his feet. Severus shook her off, cursing under his breath and whipped around, anger and embarrassment coursing through him. He narrowed his dark eyes and fixed his gaze on Hermione. She was sure she felt her heart stop in fear for a moment as he strode towards her bed once more.

"YOU did this!" Snape shouted at her, reaching for his wand.

"Professor!" Madame Pomfrey squeaked, alarm crossing her face as she glanced between Student and Teacher.

Dumbledore stood up, sighed and took out his own wand, twirling it between his fingers. "Severus, be reasonable." He spoke calmly, as if the entire situation was starting to bore him. "If Miss Granger did cast this enchantment, which I highly doubt, I would assume you'd be the last person she would want to...tether herself to." He raised his eyebrows at her and Hermione had to bite her lip to stop from laughing out loud.

Severus deflated like air being let out of a balloon and scowled to cover up his frustration. Even he couldn't see any reasoning behind his argument now that he thought about it. Hermione relaxed once more, but kept an eye on Severus for any signs of his temper reappearing.

"Now that's all been sorted," Dumbledore said cheerfully, carefully rearranging his robes as he prepared to leave. "I must see about transfiguring your quarters, Severus."

Hermione must have had a puzzled expression on her face as Professor Dumbledore tried to plaster on a look of sympathy, but Hermione could see the corners of his mouth twitching, as if he were only just containing his smile. Apparently he seemed to be finding the whole situation quite hilarious.

"Miss Granger, it seems like you and Professor Snape will be spending a lot of time together for the time being – and giving the strange and usual circumstances – I need to adapt Severus's rooms for both of your conveniences."

Hermione's sluggish brain suddenly caught on then. She was bonded together with Professor Snape, and not able to move more than a few metres away from him. She couldn't believe how slow she'd been, how had she not realised it sooner? Professor Snape's stiff and irritable posture gave away the fact he'd grasped the whole situation quick enough. Hermione was going to have to live with Professor Snape - In his quarters - for the foreseeable future. How exactly was this whole thing going to work? How would they live together without killing one another? Hermione's head spun and she put her head in her hands and started to massage her temples. Crikey this was going to get complicated.


	3. Chapter 3

Flames of the Heart – Chapter Three.

Hermione glanced around Professor Snape's quarters appraisingly. They were minimally furnished; a living room with an oversized dark green sofa and armchair were sounded by piles of books, and several overflowing bookcases lent against the walls. Off to the side was a small kitchen area and Hermione could see a relatively neat dark tiled bathroom through one of the doors leading away from the living area. It had been little over an hour since Dumbledore had left her and Severus together in the hospital wing, and Hermione was already starting to get a migraine from being around his hostile nature for so long.

"Living room and kitchen," Snape sneered nodding towards the respective areas. He then pointed towards a small door with a large bolt and padlock. "My private lab," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Don't even think of trying to go in there. The bathroom is through that door, as you can see."

Hermione sighed. You'd think he'd at least try to be civil, she thought acidly.

"Right," She muttered, glancing around. "Where exactly am I supposed to sleep?"

"In my bedroom of course," Severus snapped, as if she'd asked a ridiculously stupid question. "Come," he barked, walking off to the far side of the room towards a door she hadn't noticed previously.

True to his word, Professor Dumbledore had tried his best to adapt the room to accommodate them both. The few pieces of Severus's furniture had been pushed to right side of the room, and on the other were a single four-poster bed, desk and set of drawers. Dividing the room in half to give some privacy was a sliding screen – it was a tight fit, but Hermione didn't really care – as least she didn't have to worry about changing in front of him she didn't mind. Hermione also noted that her stuff from her own dormitory had been brought down as well. Stacks of parchment, quills and ink were positioned on her desk, and when Hermione checked the drawers, she found all her clothes and robes neatly folded inside. Those house elves are ridiculously efficient, she thought mildly, a small smile playing across her lips.

Hermione then ran a hand through her unruly hair and groaned, trying to separate the snarls and knots with her fingers. Her hair was barely manageable at the best of times, and with the stress of the day and her impromptu nap earlier, she was pretty sure it looked like a birds nest. Grabbing a pair of clean pyjamas and underwear from her drawers, Hermione headed towards the bathroom, determined to sort out her hair and shower before bed.

"I'm going to use the restroom," Hermione called over her shoulder at Severus, pausing for a moment to see if he was going to follow her.

Scowling and muttering something unintelligible under his breath, Severus walked slowly after her – already hating the god damn bond and wondering how long it'll take Dumbledore to come up with a reversal spell.

Hermione entered the bathroom and quickly closed the door behind her. She leant against it for a moment, breathing hard in frustration and tears stung her eyes. How had this whole thing happened? When was this nightmare going to end? Hermione let the tears fall silently for a few moments before composing herself and walking to the large bathroom mirror. Below it were two sinks and she noticed gratefully that her bag of essentials sat on the counter. Grabbing a brush, she gazed at herself in the mirror for a moment. Her eyes looked large and were red-rimmed and her hair, as she feared, was a complete and utter mess. Sighing, Hermione set about trying to tame her hair, gently detangling it with her comb and then brushing it into submission.

She'd just finished brushing her teeth when she realised something and whipped around in alarm. Severus's bathroom was quite large, and although she could comfortably reach the sinks and the toilet; the shower and large ornate bathtub were over the other side of the room – much more than a few metres away. Hermione's heart sank and she closed her eyes briefly, considering her options. She growled quietly to herself, who was she kidding? She had NO options; she refused to even entertain the idea of trying to wash in the sink!

"Uhm, Professor?" Hermione called out timidly. She heard a frustrated sigh from the other side of the bathroom door and for a moment she was sure he wasn't going to answer her. And then a very irritated voice spoke out.

"What is it, Miss Granger?"

"We seem to have a bit of a dilemma – can you come in here a moment?"

Another moment's silence that seemed to drag on an age followed her question. Suddenly the door swung open and Professor Snape strode into the room, tension radiating off him.

"Miss Granger, I have no inclination to coddle you! You are a grown woman and should be able to shower by..." Severus stopped midsentence and Hermione saw his eyes sweep over the room, taking in the distance from the shower to the door and saw the exact moment when the realization hit him.

Did he just blush slightly? Hermione thought, but quickly dismissed the idea. She smirked at the expression of pure shock and bewilderment on his face – he obviously hadn't thought of this situation and it shocked him to have missed something.

"Now, I want to have a shower." Hermione said very slowly and carefully, keeping her eyes on a spot just above his right ear. "And as much as I really don't want you in here whilst I do this, I don't seem to have much of a choice."

Severus's irritable expression reappeared and he narrowed his eyes at Hermione, not liking the tone of her voice. Hermione wasn't fazed by this however and walked towards the shower, pulling off her shoes as she went. She was just pulling up the hem of her school shirt when she realised his gaze was still on her and she turned around quickly, dropping the shirt back down to cover her waist and hips. Hermione didn't think she had a bad body, she had wonderful curves, and her breasts were full, even if they were slightly bigger than she'd liked. But Hermione had never slept with a guy before, let alone have one see her undress and she blushed slightly at the thought.

She raised her eyebrows at her Professor and folded her arms across her chest. "Aren't you going to turn around?" She noticed his gaze had been lingering on her hips, but he didn't seem embarrassed by being caught looking at her.

"Don't flatter yourself, Miss Granger," Leered Severus spinning around to face the door.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione quickly finished getting undressed; glancing over her shoulder ever so often to make sure he wasn't watching. Not that he would, she thought; scolding herself for even thinking that he might. He was a teacher, and not only that, he was Severus Snape for that matter. Get your mind out of the gutter, girl! Her subconscious screamed.

Climbing into the shower and standing under the downpour felt incredible. The warmth of the water soothed her tensed muscles and she gladly washed her hair with her favourite coconut shampoo, conditioner and body wash. It wasn't long before she ran out of things to wash though, and she grudgingly climbed out, wrapping herself in a large, fluffy black towel and hastily dried herself before getting dressed. After towel drying her hair, Hermione combed it out and quickly braided her hair in one, single long braid. She took one last glance in the mirror, she looked much better than she did earlier with her cheeks slightly flushed from the heat of the shower and her eyes no longer as red-rimmed. She was wearing a pair of small cotton sleep shorts and a tank top that was slightly more fitted than she wanted it to be – especially across the chest. Oh well, she thought – at least I'm decent.

"Finished," She told Severus as she walked out of the bathroom, finally ready for bed. It was a Friday evening, and Hermione had homework to do, but she was so tired she couldn't muster up the energy to do it quite yet. So, with a quick word to Severus, they went back to the bedroom and Hermione slipped into bed, hoping that she'd wake up in the morning to find the events of today (and last night) to of been a dream. She hoped she'd wake up in her own bed and have a laugh about the whole thing with her friends. Rolling onto her side, Hermione closed her eyes and let the sound of Severus's quill scratching across parchment lull her to sleep.


End file.
